Connecticut's transit system, already one of the busiest in the country, is about to expand with the addition of the New Britain-Hartford Busway and New Haven-Springfield Commuter Rail. These new services will spur commercial and residential development around transit hubs, increasing local property values and tax revenue -- but only if local governments and the state create the regulatory frameworks that enable transit-oriented development.

The Springdale neighborhood in Stamford recently adopted village-district zoning that enables walkable, mixed-use development near its train station on Metro-North's New Canaan branch. (mouse over to view photo simulation)

A new RPA proposal suggests how future station-area development could fund initial planning and improvements in communities with rail stations and contribute to future improvements to the transit network. The proposed program joins supportive planning policies with low-cost, flexible development incentives that can be implemented by municipalities to unlock development potential in their downtown station areas.

Over the past several years, Connecticut has bolstered investment in its intercity rail program with new service planned linking Hartford and New Haven and has approved funding to construct the state's first bus rapid transit system.

But Connecticut has significant repair costs ahead and future federal funding is uncertain. A significant gap exists to pay for maintenance projects and for improvements in transit and highway capacity. The state hasn't identified new sources of revenue to pay for these projects or prioritized these unfunded projects in a strategic plan.

Emil Frankel, director of transportation at the Bipartisan Policy Center, will keynote a forum in Hartford on January 20 exploring the state's transportation financing challenges.

Support is growing for more prosperous, livable communities.

Efforts to foster job creation, improve infrastructure and protect natural resources in New York and Connecticut got a big boost this month as Long Island and Stamford, Conn., won government grants aimed at promoting development around transportation hubs. At the same time, a consortium co-led by RPA kicked off a series of town halls in the region to listen to residents' ideas for transforming their communities. Read the full story here and see a video report on the Stamford town hall. Also, read a story in Planning magazine on RPA's work to create more livable, sustainable communities.

A new report released today by Regional Plan Association recommends strategies for leveraging public investments in the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) Rail Corridor for economic growth. Titled, "Dependable Rail in 2016: What Will it Mean for the Knowledge Corridor Region?", the report includes lessons from successful passenger rail corridors in Maine and Northern California, and proposes a broad set of strategies to build on the $400 million initial public investment being made to upgrade the NHHS Rail Corridor.

These preliminary, recommended strategies are offered for discussion at a convening of business leaders and local officials today in Rocky Hill, who will explore additional strategies and next steps for achieving the maximum economic benefit from the NHHS rail project.

Download the Report (PDF - 5MB).

On October 25^th, 2011 Regional Plan Association, America 2050, and the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation are co-sponsoring an event that will explore ways to leverage the recent investments in the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield rail project to spur development, job creation, and economic growth in the Knowledge Corridor region. Connecticut is moving forward with plans to improve passenger rail service in the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield corridor in Central Connecticut and Western Massachusetts. These rail improvements will allow the frequency of passenger rail service in the corridor to increase to every half hour at peak times. Participants in the event will identify strategies that the region must implement in order to maximize the economic impact of this project.